Obituary of George Duffee

DUFFEE George Duffee of Neilburg, Saskatchewan passed away in the Cut Knife Special Care Home on Saturday, November 4, 2006 at the age of 92. George is survived by two daughters: Shirley (Lorne) Pattison of Marshall, Joan (Bryan) Nicholas of Sydney, Australia; one son Jim Duffee and his companion Charlotte Bishop. 1 granddaughter: Diane (Michael) Kenyon of Marshall; 2 grandsons: Daryl (Joanna) Pattison of Edmonton, Dwayne (Jiyeun) Pattison of Saskatoon. 5 great grandchildren: Christopher, Amanda and Kevin Kenyon and Kelsey and Brendan Pattison. 2 sisters-in-law: Mary D’Arcy of Marsden and Blanche Duffee of Trenton, Ontario. 6 nephews and their families: Gordon (Carole) Hallett of Cranbrook BC, John Hallett of Lloydminster, Ken (Doris) Hallett of Neilburg, Bruce Duffee of Dawson City, Yukon, Neil Duffee of Ottawa, Boyd (Sandi) Duffee of England; and 1 niece and her family: Bonnie (Ralph) Nordling of Dawson City, Yukon. George was predeceased by his wife Jean (D’Arcy) in January 1975; by his grandson Kevin Pattison in May 1985 and by his only brother John Duffee of Trenton, Ontario in 2002. The funeral service for George was conducted from Neilburg Community Hall, Neilburg, Saskatchewan on Thursday November 9, 2006 at 2:00 PM with Rev. Ted Haas officiating. The eulogy was given by George’s grandsons, Daryl and Dwayne Pattison. Music was provided by Relative Harmony. Congregational hymns were “Precious Lord, Take My Hand” and “Just a Closer Walk With Thee”. Special hymns were “Consider the Lilies” and “I Don’t Have to Cross Jordon Alone”. Active pallbearers were: Daryl Pattison, Dwayne Pattison, Michael Kenyon, Christopher Kenyon, Paul Rutherford, Doug Johnston. Honorary pallbearers were all those who shared in George’s life. Interment followed in the Wycollar Cemetery. McCaw Funeral Services Ltd. of Lloydminster, Alberta, administered the funeral arrangements. The following is the Eulogy for George by his 2 grandsons, Daryl and Dwayne Pattison. Grandpa Duffee was born in Toronto on August 2, 1914. He grew up on his parent’s farm in the Maple Creek area. Grandpa came to the Neilburg district in 1936 and worked for several farmers in the area including Albert Wells and Oliver Reid. He married Jean D’Arcy on March 26, 1941 and they moved to their own farm in 1942. They had two daughters, Shirley and Joan, and one son Jim. Grandpa and Grandma were very active in the local community. Grandpa was always willing to lend a helping hand to neighbours and friends as well as working on community projects. He also served on many local committees and boards over the years. Grandpa loved his life as a farmer. He and his brother-in-law Jim D’Arcy farmed together until Jim retired and then he farmed with his son Jim until Grandpa himself retired. Grandpa loved farming so much that he often took it to bed. One year when helping Bill Rutherford combine, he had to make tight turns in the field in order to pick up the swath. That night in bed he was dreaming about the tight turns over and over and eventually rolled himself right out of bed. Another time, grandpa was dreaming of chasing a pig. He couldn’t get it to go the right direction so he kicked at it. The next morning grandma woke with a nice bruise on her leg. But Grandpa really did love his animals. When he first started farming it was in the days of working with horses and he always had a very well fed and well cared for team. Grandpa said that he liked horses but he wouldn’t like to go back to the days of farming with them as the work he could do in one hour with his tractor would have taken more than a day with a team of horses. Grandpa gave all his cattle names; as a matter of fact the only animals without names on his farm were the chickens. There probably aren’t too many people who would carry a cat from the house to the barn at night in the winter so the cat’s feet wouldn’t get cold. Life was not all work. Grandpa had a great love of music, especially old time music but since his mother was Scottish the sound of bagpipes was another musical pleasure for him. Grandpa played the violin and there is many a person who danced the night away to Grandpa’s fiddling. In the 1940’s through to the early 1960’s it was often only Grandpa with his violin and a piano player or a guitar player, for dances in country schools, generally with a full house of dancers. In later years Grandpa and his violin were part of the Toe Tappers Band, which ranged from 6 to 8 or more musicians and a sound system. Not only did Grandpa love to play music he also loved to dance. Grandpa and Grandma enjoyed an evening of dancing and would dance until the last dance was called. Even after Grandpa was in the care home he could still cut a ‘mean rug’. Grandpa also loved sport. In his younger years he played baseball. Although having said it was in his younger years, Auntie Joan and mom found a photo taken of him in the 70’s playing baseball wearing a dress. Grandpa also loved a game of horseshoes at which he was very good and he also enjoyed curling. For the past several years of Grandpa’s life he lived at the Cut Knife Health Complex, where he was looked after very well. As a family we are very grateful that there was such an excellent facility where he obtained good care and attention for the last years of his life. Grandpa’s life was a great example of growing where you are planted and blooming where you grow. Grandpa established his roots here in Neilburg and bloomed as a husband, a father, a grandfather, a friend, a neighbour, a farmer and musician. And we are all fortunate to have been part of his life. To close, a short poem written by Dwayne Take a load off Relax awhile Everything’s fine The house is warm, The tea tastes like tea A bowl of chocolates is on the table The cows are watered The coral is shut The calves are well fed The violin is tuned The band’s on key Your crib hand is full of fives and jacks The family is here And so are the neighbours The grand kids are even behaving So come on in Take a load off And relax awhile Cards of Thanks The family of the late George Duffee thank the staff of the Cut Knife Special Care Home and Dr. Steenkamp for their excellent care of George during his years there and thank you to those who visited him there. Thank you to Rev. Ted Haas for officiating and for all his help. Thank you to Relative Harmony for providing the music. Thank you to McCaw Funeral Service for their compassion and kindness. Thank you also to: The Hall Board and the ladies who provided lunch; the Rutherford Family for providing the family supper; the use of the bowling alley before the service and those who worked at the cemetery. Thank you to all who attended the service; sent cards, flowers and donations. Your kindness and thoughtfulness was very much appreciated. Donations in memory of George may be made to a Charity of the Donor's Choice.